This site is designed for market gardeners and
small commercial sprout growers.

If you are looking for the best - retail - sprout supplies on this planet, please go to The Sproutpeople site.

We are The Sproutpeople. We started as market gardeners and grew to the point that we had 40 wholesale (grocery stores, natural food stores, co-ops, pet stores and food wholesalers) customers in 4 states. We grew as much as 1,500 pounds of sprouts, Grass and Greens weekly. We drove 900 miles every week to deliver them directly to our customers. We employed over 30 people over the years - as many as 9 people besides ourselves at one time. We know anything is possible!

When we started sprouting, in 1993, we had no running water, no electricity and our heat came from wood. We used to get our leafy sprouts green by moving them around our log cabin - chasing the sun that came in the windows. Things changed a lot over the years, but we always grew our sprouts by hand. We rinsed them 2-3 times daily over a sink and shook them to drain the water out. We have always used nursery trays and buckets to grow our products. We feel that that is the best method for a small grower - and we can teach you how.

This portion of The Sproutpeople universe is just for you folks who are selling sprouts at a farmers market, or are growing commercially. We can't help you with major equipment, but if you want to produce a few hundred pounds of sprouts - or a ton tops, we can teach you how.

There is no cost involved in this! What you need to do is follow our guidelines regarding responsible sprouting - specifically cleanliness and sprouter sterilization - that's it. We'll sell you seeds and supplies and give you every bit of help we can. You can not claim our seeds to be your own - we retain rights to our seed mixes - but you don't have to give us any credit either (though some of the folks we supply do give us credit - and that's OK too). What's in it for us you ask?

Well, when we were about 3 years old our business was so hot and we were so excited, we came up with the idea of opening Sproutpeople locations around the country. We had this beautiful cooperative business design and we figured we could spread the greatest sprouts ever (we feel very strongly about our products) to everywhere, while providing great employment to cool people. It would have been a wonderful thing! Unfortunately, our burden is people. Of the 30 plus folks we've employed over the years only 2 have worked out well, and we have horror stories you wouldn't believe (unless you've been an employer =;-). We paid very well and respected everyone the way we always wished our employers would have respected us, it just didn't work out for us - we know some folks who've had a great time as employers - it isn't common, but is does happen - not for us though - that's why we are a 2 person business now - and will never be any bigger - but - you'd be amazed what 2 people willing to enslave themselves can accomplish! If you're still excited you may be the same way =:-D

So - what's in it for us is this: By selling you seeds and helping you develop your own sprout business, we're spreading the greatest sprouts ever - everywhere! It's even better this way. This will be your thing! We can help you grow and give you advice on selling, but you know your local, we don't, and everywhere is unique - so you'll develop your market, discover what the folks like and make it your own!

Besides instruction and advice, what we offer is seeds and sprouting supplies. We'll sell you the seeds at a discount and to some degree the supplies too. The deal is this - you get 20% off our retail prices for seeds and Trays. Other supplies we're not sure of - we'll work that out as we go - we're new at this too. You will have to order over $300 at a time, but that's not much (many seed dealers require over a ton and some over 5 tons!) The hard part is this: You have to PROVE to us that you are a commercial grower! We want text and pictures! If you're just starting then you'll have to buy retail - many have done it before you - including us. You'll discover if you want to keep going and if you do - we'll sell you stuff cheaper!

Another part of this is that we will use this - or another site in our universe - to help direct people to you. We will post your text (possibly edited by us) and pictures on a site. We'll tell people who visit (we're pretty good at getting people to our sites. You're here aren't you?) the site where you are and when, what you sell and who you are. THIS will be the sprout network we thought we could create back in 1996!

It makes virtually no sense for us. We are as maxed out as 2 people can be. We get 200-300 new RETAIL customers every month, and we have a very good return customer rate. We don't need ANY more business! The thing with us is that, we consider The Sproutpeople to be an entity much like a child. We need to make it all it can be, and this is part of it's evolution. Honestly, we expect to have to sell it in a couple years - if it continues to grow at the rate it has grown, consistently since 1993, we won't be physically capable of keeping up. If that happens we'll take care of you. We'll either sell to someone who will carry on what we do in the way we do it, or we'll set you up with new sources - and we'll disclose our mixing secrets.

We're still setting this up. We will get the directions for Tray and Bucket growing online as soon as we can (my current goal is July, 2002). In the meantime, if you are already going, you can send us your "application" in the form of pictures and a written history. We want to know as much about what you do and what you believe (about sprouts) as possible - and we want to see your market stand, growing set-up and anything else relevant. If you pass this unique test we'll send you a discount code. You'll shop at sproutpeople.com like everyone else, but when you check out you enter your code and presto - 20% off!

We'll soon be adding a quick order page which will have just product names and Add To Cart buttons, so you'll be able to get what you need faster.

We'll also add our suggestions of what to sell and what to charge, what stores to approach and how, growing methods, Tray and Bucket modifications and sterilization techniques, growing and transportation set-ups, and anything else we can think of - or you suggest.

There is one other limitation. You can not re-sell our seeds unless you give us TOTAL credit AND direct people to www.sproutpeople.com for instructions on how to grow. It is our firm belief that EVERY new sprouter needs to have success the first time they sprout. Too many will just give up if they don't and it is all of our best interests to keep people happy about sprouts!

SPROUTS

Sprouts are a powerhouse of nutrition. They have been grown by many civilizations over the past 5,000 years.

We offer not only the most extensive (by far) assortment of sprouts, but the best sprouting seeds you can find anywhere. Almost all (70 out of 72) of the seed types we sell are Certified Organic.

We have been growing sprouts commercially for over 7 years - by hand, rinsing and draining 2-3 times daily over a sink. We've produced over 180 tons (yes tons!) of sprouts in this manner - which is why we are uniquely qualified to serve home sprouters - we grow the same way you do! Since we grow our sprouts from the same seed we sell to you and we know pretty much everything there is to know about every lot of sprouting seed we use/sell and we love to help people sprout, how can you go wrong?

Research shows that sprouts are a veritable fountain of youth. Sprouts abound with antioxidants, they are full of protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Broccoli sprouts have been found to contain 50 times as much of the antioxidant sulfurophane as mature broccoli. Wheat Grass juice is the closest substance to hemoglobin known and is therefore a phenomenal blood purifier and liver de-toxifier. Sprouts contain enzymes, giving your body a much needed rest as they digest themselves - invigorating you while requiring no help from your body to process them. New research indicates that peanut sprouts reduce harmful cholesterol and that sunflower, buckwheat and grain sprouts dramatically improve the quality of life of diabetics. The list goes on and on.

We are a company committed to organic stewardship of our planet, to providing the highest quality seeds available and to educating any and all who wish to learn about sprouts and sprouting.